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The Brimstone Court #1

The Darkest Echo

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Milli thinks she’s an average girl, living a below average life. Her last four years in the small town of Anvil, Virginia have been mediocre at best. She didn’t recall her life before her accident, the one that left her with amnesia. In fact, Milli was just the name the hospital nurse had given her. With her simple job, her crappy landlord, and her even crappier boyfriends, she’s been left wondering if this is all there is, if this is all there would ever be…

Then things begin to change.

First, a pack of wolves trail her through the woods, then she literally has a bat in her belfry. Her once humdrum life is soon topsy-turvy and brimming with all manner of nocturnal creatures. In the middle of this supernatural chaos, a little demon arrives, eager to tell her she is so much more than what she has come to believe. Inside her lies incredible, unimaginable power; she merely needs to rediscover it.

Better yet, there are two beings who have been looking for her. For years upon years, one of them has been endlessly searching for her, eager to simply be in her presence, he loves her so... Yet, the other is mired in long-simmering rage, wanting nothing more than to see her reduced to ash, her existence in flaming ruins…

As she reclaims her identity, her passion, and her power, everyone will learn what she is truly capable of.

If you’ve ever felt like you could be more, you’ll love The Darkest Echo.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2025

12 people are currently reading
74 people want to read

About the author

Shanna C. Robillard

14 books27 followers
Shanna C Robillard is an author of 12 books, one trilogy, and the planned 7-book series of standalone novels set at Brimstone Court. Her primary genre is paranormal romance (vampires, werewolves, and demons). However, she has written cozy urban fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and fantasy.
Currently, she lives in New York State with her husband and a four-legged beastie.

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5 stars
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16 (34%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Shayna Stockton.
52 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2025
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I love that this book started in “the real world” and then eased us until the fantasy realm. Definitely what I needed since I was in a fantasy slump. The story was GREAT. And reaching the first spicy scene while sitting in a church was probably my favorite book moment I’ve ever had lmao. Especially since I don’t go to church. I was only there for a performance. Couldn’t have timed that better if I tried.
Jokes aside- the spice was perfect. Her growth and becoming her full self was so satisfying.
Only minor complaint was that I got a little lost in the final battle scene when there were names being tossed left and right and I couldn’t remember who was who. But that really didn’t affect the story. So it was fine haha.
Profile Image for Em.
115 reviews3 followers
April 6, 2025
Milli wakes with amnesia and is basically booted and told to figure herself out.

I'm still a little confused. The first half of the book is Milli trying to find her way without any help. Suddenly she's snow white and then the action happens

To be honest the entire first half of the book feels superfluous. I think it could have done with way less of that. The animal thing was strange, felt unnecessary to the plot itself.
The story and world built around Brimstone court was far more interesting than was happening on earth. And the little foray "back" to Anvil just felt shoe horned in and out of place.

Also I sometimes I wasn't sure if I was reading a christian novel or not...

thanks for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this title.
Profile Image for Traci.
23 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2025


This book took me on an adventure that I was not ready for. Mille aka Lilith wakes up in a small town and cannot remember where she came from. As she finds her way, she makes friends with some of the town locals. However, mysterious events start happening and Millie (Lilith), knows she is meant to follow this new magical path.

This book took me much longer to read than I wanted it to. It is well written and researched, but there are a few scenes that were difficult for me to process.

Angels, Demons, Lore, Animals, Biblical figures, Sexuality, Adult Content.

LGBTQIA friendly.
Profile Image for TomeAfterTome Tess.
133 reviews8 followers
May 12, 2025
4.5⭐️

Follows the story of Millie, a young woman who wakes up with amnesia after a 14 year coma, in a small town. Four years post her awakening, she finds herself in a rut with a dead end job, decent looking big-fish-ilttle-pond boyfriend, and a creepy landlord, who possibly has been engaged in criminal activity and stolen her underwear. 🫣

When suddenly, the whimsy she has been longing for flies into her life— quite literally, only it’s not into her life so much as her home, and it’s not whimsy so much as a bat. This event triggers a series of more creatures that find themselves drawn to this mysterious woman. Then one day, one of the creatures— an owl named Nox, finds that they are able to speak with her.

After spending some time, debating whether or not she is absolutely insane. Millie comes to accept her ability to communicate with this creature who then becomes her translator for the myriad of magical creatures that come into her life. It is these magical creatures that begin the shift which changes our heroines story from bland to magic.

At least until she finds out, she’s being summoned to hell.

I fell in love with this incredibly unique and original storyline as I expected another dark romantasy (which I absolutely love!), but this story delivered so much more. An unexpected harmonious blend of whimsy, adventure, self discovery, female rage, and heated romance.

I was wonderfully surprised by this first installment of the brimstone court series in more than one way. From the diverse cast of demons, humans, angels,and LGBTQIA+ representation, to the deeper running themes of radical self acceptance, perseverance, and stepping into your power. With side servings of heated romance— expertly crafted and a swoon worthy morally Grey MMC with a silver tongue that reminds us just why we prefer males written by women. 😉

Highly recommend picking this one up while it’s still free on KU if you’re looking for a break from dark romantasy without actually having to take one.

Definitely be sure to check your trigger warnings before diving in!

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review.
1 review
March 12, 2025
The Darkest Echo is a must-read for Demon romance lovers


To start, the spice. I am a bad spice reader. While I love romance and sexual tension I generally end up skimming through the majority of the actual spice.
That was not the case with this book. These may be some of the most emotionally present and romantically connected spice scenes I've ever read. This is especially noteworthy as I have a strong preference for strict monogamy in my romance and these scenes incorporated non-monogamy (with what I can only anticipate as the promise of more in future books) in a way that didn't alienate me as a reader.

Now that the elephant in the room has been dealth with, I can address the story its self. My only real complaint here is that there isn't already another book.
All of the characters are engaging and well written, and are compelling enough to deserve their very own stories and adventures.

The set-up in the beginning was slower than I'm used to for this kind of story, but it was absolutely worth it and paid me back for my patience by grounding the story as the supernatural elements emerge fully onto the scene.

The one flaw I could point to if I were nitpicking is that there is so much compelling story provided that sometimes I felt like I didn't get enough of particular parts of it. There are characters, and relationships sketched in broad strokes that I wanted more of. Not just her friends, and the main players, but people we encounter in passing as the story unfolds. We may need to petition the author for a short story companion collection.

I've read this story twice and my impatience for the next installation is immeasureable.

TLDR;
pros:
Fantastic spice
excellent relationships
genuine romance
exciting and engaging story
world's least likeable villain

cons:
slightly slow start
dares not to already be the complete series, thereby requiring me to wait


I was given a preview copy of the book to read and give feedback on it, and I could not be happier about my good fortune.
Profile Image for A. Page.
144 reviews
March 17, 2025
3.25 stars

This book, for me, was a dichotomy of halves. The first half, I absolutely adored, and the second half left me frustrated and confused. I received a copy ahead of the release, and the author asked me to tell you what I thought of it. I am going to give my honest opinion without spoilers, so expect vague references to things.

The first half or so of this book was a fast pace. We had found family, a bit of mystery and princess vibes with animal interactions. I ate it up. Some of the conversations felt stilted, but it wasn't a big thing. Those were few and far between. I loved the animal interactions and adore anything with any type of mystery. It was such a genuine pleasure to read, and it was so easy to put the book down and want to come back to it. I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.

The second half was a different vibe, which is fine. It fits with the story, but the writing seemed to change. The pace became rushed, and we were rapid-fire meeting new characters. Which could have been fine, but it felt like we met some of these characters from their point of view in a spice scene. Why?! I genuinely don't mind spice, or even spice for spice sake. But, spice scenes from the point of view of a character I had never met threw me out of the book. Personally, I struggled with this aspect of the story. We had one point of view for the entire first half of the book and then switched views so much through the last half, to characters who I barely knew who they were, couldn't remember who they were or honestly had zero attachment to. But, to be fair, some of these interactions moved the story on in a way that the single point of view couldn't have.

Overall, I am glad I read it, at least for the first half of the book alone. That is going to stay with me for a while. I would love to know what happens to her friends from Anvil, but I am not sure if I will seek out the next book.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn Marie.
33 reviews
April 15, 2025
Shanna Robillard’s The Darkest Echo begins with a compelling premise: a woman named Milli wakes from a 14-year coma with no memory, no visitors, and no support system. The story follows her as she pieces together a new life, with help from a few kind strangers who offer her a job and a place to stay. The first part of the book leans into emotional recovery and personal rediscovery, which creates a grounded, human connection with Milli.

A time jump four years into the future brings a noticeable tonal shift. Milli begins attracting wild animals—a development that, while intriguing, feels like a surprising pivot from the book's earlier emotional realism. The animal situation eventually leads to her eviction, which in turn introduces Mort, a messenger demon who reveals that Milli is much more than she ever imagined. From here, the book dives into Brimstone Court, a richly imagined realm where the bulk of the fantasy unfolds.
While the book maintains an intriguing paranormal edge, it makes a significant shift into Christian religious themes once Milli reaches Brimstone Court. This might resonate with readers who enjoy religious allegory or spiritual undertones in their fantasy, but for others, especially those expecting a more secular paranormal romance, this element may come as a surprise and potentially disrupt engagement.

Overall, The Darkest Echo offers an original blend of mystery, self-discovery, and dark fantasy. Readers looking for a genre-crossing journey with elements of the supernatural and religious mythology may find it rewarding. However, those who prefer their paranormal stories to steer clear of overt religious themes might find the latter half of the book less aligned with their tastes.

I received a copy ahead of the release, and the author asked me to give my honest opinion of it.
Profile Image for Ashley H.
16 reviews
March 26, 2025
The author gave me copy of the book before it came out and asked if I could share my take on it. Below is my honest review.

It starts off with a woman (Milli) who woke up from a coma with no idea who she is or what happened to her. Everything started to go her way with a new job, a house, and friends. But she keeps feeling like something is missing. Follow Milli on her journey to find out who she really is, and maybe there is a love interest out there…

I really love the friendship between Milli, Cora and Fynn. I love how they are there for each other and how effortless their friendship is.

We are also introduced to many smaller characters from animals, demons, and her ex. I wish some of these characters had a larger part during the book. I absolutely loved Nox, I wish he was in it more!

Then we get to her love interest Az and let me tell you he does not disappoint! Very good spicy scenes with a lot happening. Az is a very “touch her and die” kinda guy.

Overall the book was 3 stars for me. I enjoyed the book but wished some characters were in the book more. I also was very confused at times during the book and had to keep re-reading the same parts to understand it better. All the supporting characters need their own stories!
Profile Image for Ashley (andtheniwasbookish).
390 reviews21 followers
March 31, 2025
I was given a preview copy of the book to read and give some feedback on it.

This was an interesting read! I absolutely loved getting to know Milli's character, and the set up of the story was really nice.

The writing is smooth, engaging, and the details of the world building were crystal clear.

I thought the build up to the reveal of Milli's past was cool, I would have even loved more of it.

Given that this is the first in a series, I have a feeling that some of the characters that we got glimpses of during the book will come back around and get some more page time.

I could have Az as a snack all day, every day. His character is absolutely delicious, and even though we got lots of Az, I want more. More Az, please!

There were some weird time jumps that I had a hard time keeping track of, which took away from the story for me a bit, as well as some seemingly out of place moments regarding character growth.

However, I think the core of the story paired with the writing is what kept me engaged in this book. I'll come back for book 2, I'm excited to see what happens next.

Overall: recommend
Spice: open door
Profile Image for Tysha.
191 reviews5 followers
March 23, 2025
This story starts off with a woman waking up from a coma, not having a clue who she is, or how she ended up in that state. Eventually she's released from the hospital, none the wiser to her past, but the kind nurses gave her a name, Milli, and some money to start her new life.

So the first part of this book is all about her fitting into small town life, finding a job, a place to live, and some new friends. Then things start getting a little interesting..... With Milli seeming to have an affinity to creatures associated with the night, including a talking owl called Nox.

Then everything changes, and this turns into a super spicy read, perfect for people who enjoy a good demon romance. I'm not going to spoil it too much, but dang, it's a fast paced steamy tail... um tale.

I'm so glad my lousy memory forgot what this book was about, because it made the sudden plot twist that much more satisfying 🤭

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
63 reviews2 followers
April 8, 2025
If you are a fan of demons and paranormal romance, you are in luck!!

I received a copy ahead of the release, and the author asked me to tell you what I thought of it....in short, I need the next book!

At the beginning, this book was slower than I usually like, but the mystery kept me in it. Our FMC wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who she is. She has never had anyone come looking for her and has been in a coma for years! What does one do in that situation?

I guess start a life, right? A job, a place to stay, food and clothes are essentials. That is where we start.

When Milli's life is finally coming together, suddenly, things start to change. Animals gravitate toward her, and spicy dreams keep her wondering what is happening to her.

Just when she thinks she might have some answers, she is whisked off into another dimension. Is this home?

Book two is already being worked on, so never fear! Dive into this wonderful story today
Profile Image for Celine.
13 reviews
April 7, 2025
I received a copy ahead of the release, and the author asked me to tell you what I thought of it.

Milli wakes up from a coma and we follow her journey to find her true self. While meeting new friends along the way, she can’t help but feel something is still missing and is left wanting more from her life.

The beginning of this book hooked me. What happened to her? How did she end up like this? What’s she going to do next? I loved reading about Milli, Cora and Flynn.

The second half of the book takes you into a whole different world where you really get to dive into her story.

The second half felt a bit rushed. The world seems large and the author really tries to explain the details but somehow there’s still not enough. I feel like this story could have benefited from a first person POV. While the story was entertaining, I felt like I was too far removed from the story. There were random times the author included inner thoughts of the characters but I felt it didn’t really work since it was third person POV.

I enjoyed the story but I’m not sure if I’m interested in reading the next books.
Profile Image for Em.
254 reviews3 followers
April 15, 2025
📚✨ The Darkest Echo by Shanna C. Robillard
⭐️ 3/5 | 🌶️ 4/5

"I received a copy ahead of the release and the author asked me to tell you what I thought of it."

To be honest, the entire first half of the book dragged a bit, and I couldn’t help but think it could’ve been trimmed down quite a bit. That said, once we finally got to Brimstone Court, I was hooked. The world-building there was intense, vivid, and so much more interesting.

There were also some weird time jumps, but despite all that, there’s something about the core of the story—and the writing—that kept pulling me back in.

By the time I hit the halfway point, I couldn’t stop. I binged the second half in the waiting room at the doctor's! This book seriously pulled me out of a reading slump.

I’ll definitely be picking up book two—I need to know what happens next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for emmaz.bookshelf.
139 reviews4 followers
March 15, 2025
🔥ARC Review The Darkest Echo🔥

I received a copy ahead of the release and the author asked me to tell you what I thought of it!
(Thank you so much for letting me!! 🥹🫶🏻)


If you love demon romance, you absolutely need to read this book! It got me out of my reading slump, and I’m so glad it did. The beginning was a little slow, but once I hit the halfway mark, I could not put it down and finished it in one night!

Milli is such a fun and relatable character. I loved her connection with animals, and her friendship with Cora and Fynn was just the sweetest. The mix of feminine rage, self-acceptance, and character growth? Absolutely amazing!!

And the spice? Absolutely to die for!! It was something else!! I was literally giggling and kicking my feet! 🤭
Profile Image for Kamiye.
243 reviews7 followers
March 19, 2025
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author. I'm leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I really wanted to love this one, it just didn't click. I like the characters and some parts of the world-building. I know there will be more as it's going to be 7 book series. It just didn't work for me. The first part of the book felt too long for me.

However, if you like magic, demons, and court intrigue this one is for you.
It is well-written (I can recognize that, even if I didn't love the book), and I quite like the book's small snippets of different court intrigues.

Please remember to read the trigger warnings as this book contains open-door spice and abuse toward the FMC (among other things).

Thank you again to the author for the opportunity.
1 review1 follower
March 13, 2025
Angels, Demons and the first woman Oh My. Don't miss this spicy tale of a lost woman and her feminine rage.

I received this advanced copy and the author asked me to tell you what I think.

This book was amazing. Milli is so realistic and her ride or die friendship with Fynn and Cora is so well told. Milli reacts realisticly to each change in her life making me see myself in many of the characters. I found myself on the edge of my seat egging the friends on and booing the yucky boyfriends.

The spice is insane the deeper you dive and so well written. Keep cold water or your partner close to hand as you enter the second half of the book.
Profile Image for Kelsi.
27 reviews
March 28, 2025
I received a copy before the publishing date as an ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the author has fantastic writing skills. Not only was the plot twist fascinating, but we got a badass FMC. The book does change paces and style halfway through. It starts with one perspective and once the plot twist occurs, multiple perspectives are introduced, and a few feel unnecessary and like filler. It feels like the second half was rushed, and maybe it was just the multiple perspectives that made it feel that way. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy subtle but interesting plot twists, different takes on the afterlife, and spice!
15 reviews
March 28, 2025
I had so much fun reading this book! The FMC wakes up on a hospital and has no idea who she is, finds out she’s been in a coma for 14 YEARS! She has one day of pretty awesome luck, and then everything is downhill for the next 4 years. Poor girl doesn’t remember anything from before, except she’s got some dreams of someone tall dark and handsome. She makes some really great friends, but picks all the wrong guys. Animals begin to flock to her and when a creature finds her on her trek to a friend’s house she gets the shock of a lifetime as he explains to her who she is. I love the lore written into this story and the coming into her own of “Milli”.
Profile Image for Alexandra Tisha.
30 reviews
April 4, 2025
**ARC READER**
What starts as a curious case of amnesia following a long term coma turns into a strange Snow White moment with some animals and then becomes Lilith reclaiming her spot in Hell alongside her lover?!? This was a wild rollercoaster of a book, which while a bit off topic at times (the things with David and Tony seemed slightly unnecessary), is at its core a great story of a woman knowing her power and reclaiming her own sexual prowess. It also became a very cute love story in the end, and the last third of it was filled to the Brimstone of some REAL good smutty smut. Honestly it’s worth the read just for some of those scenes 🥵.
Profile Image for Rachael.
609 reviews6 followers
April 4, 2025
2.75⭐

I received an early copy of this.

I enjoyed the first half, The girl wakes up from a coma, doesn't know who she is, gets to talk to birds and animals, but has shitty taste in men.

The second half got unnecessarily freaky. I like a raunchy scene as much as the next person, but a lot of these were not needed. a few of them were about some random side characters you'd never heard of before or since that one scene.

I know this is supposed to be part of a series, so I'm hoping the next book has a bit more of a plot line or some character development.

Best part was the sassiness of the animals.
Profile Image for Lisa.
44 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2025
I was given a preview copy of the book to read and give some feedback on it.

This book was a good time! It starts with the FMC waking up from a coma, not knowing what happened or even who she is. I really wanted to know what happened, so I just kept on reading.

Things get more and more interesting as you read. She is trying to adapt to her new life in a small town, getting a job, a place to live. When she discoveres some night creatures, things get reaaaally interesting.

It will get twisty, demony, and very spicy! 🥵

Absolutely loved it! 🫶
Profile Image for Amber Hess.
100 reviews2 followers
April 27, 2025
I truly enjoyed this book. This is the first I have read with demons and references to God and Angels in this way. I enjoyed the perspective given. I enjoyed Milli’s gift of speaking to animals though I wish we had more closure on their relationship. Asmodeus was a great character and I loved them together. The spice in this book was great and I enjoyed the conflict and the resolution. The only thing that was hard for me sometimes was the omniscient 3rd person POV. It was unique and ultimately didn’t hinder my understanding of the book but sometimes it threw me off. I look forward to book 2!
Profile Image for Julie  Stratton.
19 reviews1 follower
June 6, 2025
The Darkest Echo is a story about a woman reclaiming her power and agency. The author has begun an epic fantasy tale of the Goddess Lilith: Adam’s first wife, who God cast out of our world as a demon. If you like it hot and spicy this is a book for you, full of handsome devils and angels. Milli thinks she’s an average human completely unaware of who she truly is. Until an owl, bat and wolves become her friends, her boring life soon to be over. This is a book for those who love imaginary worlds and diabolical fun.
Profile Image for Scott.
67 reviews2 followers
March 13, 2025
I received a copy ahead of the release and the author asked me to tell you what I thought of it so here goes.

This book is simply amazing it starts off a little slow but picks up in both and spiciness. This is a must read for anyone who loves a great original story and hot demon smut on the side. This book was so good I couldn’t put it down. Great characters + great story telling = one HELL of a good book
2 reviews
March 14, 2025
The author gave me copy of the book before it came out and asked if I could share my take on it.

I enjoyed this book. It started off a slower, but I was hooked from the beginning. I feel like at some points, there were a little holes, wondering where this character came from.

The spice is there, definitely more than I’m used to but it was really well written.

If I didn’t have to work, I definitely would’ve devoured it in one day. Thank you for this opportunity.
Profile Image for Jennifer Michelle.
159 reviews9 followers
March 16, 2025
This book is one to read. I wasn’t at all expecting any of the events that took place and oh my. I absolutely, how each event played out to the very end of the book. I did feel it was a bit slow with the main character remembering who she was, however, it did flow beautifully. The storyline was wonderful and kept me wanting more. The book does get spicy, but that storyline and how it all flowed was wonderful.
Profile Image for Owen Hera-Singh.
111 reviews2 followers
March 23, 2025
Holy Hell!
This book was incredible!

Milli finds herself waking up from a 14 year long coma - remembering nothing of her life prior.
What she begins to experience and remember isn’t what she was expecting!

I devoured this book; much like Milli was devoured - repeatedly 😏 and spare a thought for the asshole impaled by a tail 😉

There are content warnings that people should take note of, as some content could be quite distressing.
Profile Image for Delaney.
129 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

4.5 rounded to 4 for Goodreads.

This book started off a little slow, but that is not to say it did not capture my interest. I was super intrigued by it the whole time. It was always throwing new things at me that had me asking more questions and wanting to know what would happen next. The second half of this book really picked up, and it was super action-packed. I enjoyed reading this book.

🔥Morally Grey MMC
🔥Long Lost Love
🔥A Curse
🔥Dream Encounters
🔥Demons
Profile Image for Patricia Racobs.
66 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2025
I want to start this by saying I think this is a great book for others, it just wasnt for me!

The first half of the book was a fast and gave off Snow White vibes which I really loved! The second half was where we got to the full storyline and from there the book lost me...but again I think for someone who is into demons, romantasy, and court novels that this would be a winner for them! I greatly appreciate the author providing an ARC for me to read!
Profile Image for Emma :).
309 reviews19 followers
March 14, 2025
Literally one of my favorite books of this year! I absolutely loved every single second of this book. Shanna did an amazing job with the details, the characters, and setting the scene. This book has me wanting to read anything and everything Shanna writes!

I read this book early and all thoughts are my own!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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